


Purple Horizon (Redux)

by cyndercrys



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Drama, F/F, Gay Feelings, Romance, Slice of Life, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:34:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29429622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndercrys/pseuds/cyndercrys
Summary: (A rewrite/overhaul of my 2018 fic)Stumbling out of Vault 111, Renee Jones has one thought: find Shaun. But when she meets Piper Wright, she finds herself whipped into a post-nuclear annihilation adventure she never prepared for. Now, in the aftermath of learning the truth, she's broken down into a shell of her pre-war self, and a certain plucky reporter might just be her saving grace. Of course, that's provided they can see past their own convictions. But old habits die hard, and not all news stories have a happy ending.
Relationships: Female Sole Survivor/Piper Wright
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Family Photo

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Purple Horizon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13802607) by [cyndercrys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndercrys/pseuds/cyndercrys). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IN WHICH Renee brings Piper back to Sanctuary Hills to fetch something. Piper finds an old photo of Renee, Nate, and Shaun before the bombs.

Renee smiled upon hearing the lock click open. She dropped the bobby pin back in her bag and stood. Ordinarily she would have just used the key to open the old lock on her own storm cellar; but since the bombs fell, she had no idea where the key had gone. Not even Codsworth knew, and he had two centuries to look. Fortunately a bobby pin seemed to do the trick.

“You sure know your way around a bobby pin.”

“It’s nothing, really. These old locks are all more or less the same.” Renee grabbed one of the heavy doors by the handle. “Mind getting the other one?”

Piper gripped the other and together they managed to open it up. She gave a low whistle. “Dark down there.”

“Watch your step.” The redhead flicked the display of her Pip-Boy up as bright as it would go and began to descend down the cement stairs.

They walked down into the darkness until the steps gave way into an open, square room. A few shelves lined the walls, though one had toppled over and spilled its contents all over the floor. In one corner, a large tool chest gathered dust; in another, empty luggage sat forgotten and lonely. Renee went straight to the wooden crate on a shelving unit. “Feel free to take anything you want. This is all useless to me now.”

Piper looked around in the dim light of the Pip-Boy. She noticed the shelves were mostly stocked with canned foods and water—which had likely long gone bad. She wasn’t about to drink it, anyway. “You guys were pretty prepared.”

Renee snorted. “We thought we were.”

The reporter kept exploring. She came across what appeared to be a photo frame and picked it up, brushing her thumb along the glass. To her surprise, she revealed none other than her companion. She rubbed her scarf over the rest to clean away decades of dust. “Hey, you might wanna take a look at this.”

“Hm?” Renee closed the wooden crate and closed the distance between them.

Piper simply held out the photo.

“Well, look at that. I wondered where this went.” Renee feathered her fingertips over the glass. “This was taken just after…” Her shoulders fell. “Just after Shaun was born.”

She remembered that day of course, a sunny, Sunday afternoon. During their walk in the park, the Joneses came upon a fellow offering photographs. Nate spread out the blanket they brought along for their picnic and she cradled their infant son in her arms.

She took a deep breath. She could still feel Nate’s warm arm around her shoulders, feel the soft blue onesie her mother gave her as a baby gift for Shaun. She remembered the camera flash again and again as they tried to get Shaun to look at it. He just giggled and laughed away as if it were a game.

“Blue?”

Piper’s soft voice broke her reverie. Renee blinked. “Sorry. I was just…”

“Was that your husband?” She tapped her nail against the glass.

“Yeah.” Renee gave a wry smile. “Mother was pretty happy when she found out I was marrying a man in uniform.”

Piper scratched at her forehead, pushing her cap up. “He was a handsome guy, I’ll give him that. I can see why you liked him so much.” She winked with a smile.

“He was.” Renee chuckled and put the photo back on the shelf. “Well, I got what I came for. You need anything else down here?”

“Nope.” Piper jerked her thumb toward the stairs. “Let’s get outta here.”

Renee led the way back to the surface and closed the doors again, not bothering to lock them.


	2. Partners In Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IN WHICH Renee is confronted by Nat, who is upset about her sister being in danger out in the Commonwealth.

“Arm yourself with the truth! The Institute kidnaps another civilian! Synths could be walking among us!”

“Hey kiddo!”

Nat turned to see her sister and Vaultie—well, Renee—walking down the steps into Diamond City. She grinned. “Piper! Welcome back!” She jumped down from her crate and ran up to hug her; though to her surprise, Piper pulled away with a grunt.

“Easy there, kiddo. We ran into some Raiders on the way back here, I’m sore.” Piper ruffled her hair with a warm smile. She turned back to Renee. “I’ll be right back.”

Nat watched her sister disappear into the office and, once she was gone, glared up at the redhead. “I thought you said you were gonna keep her safe.”

Renee’s eyebrows rose. “I am. She’s not dead, Natalie. Heck, I’m sore too, I’m not used to fighting and running around all the time.”

“Every time you guys come back Piper’s hurt. I mean, she’s not like, _dying_ or anything, but it’s worse than before she met you!” Nat huffed, crossing her arms. “Some day my sister’s gonna get killed and it’s gonna be because you keep dragging her everywhere!”

“I…” Renee’s shoulders fell and she took a deep breath. Nat was right. If Piper had her way, they wouldn’t come back to Diamond City even as often as they did. The reporter had a rather annoying habit of keeping her cuts and bruises hidden, and Renee realized pretty early on that the reason she drank so much Nuka-Cola was to avoid sleeping.

All that aside, neither of them had been anywhere near death. The worst that happened was Renee stepping in a mole rat hole and twisting her ankle; and even then, both of them laughed at how comical it was. Still. Renee could see the hurt in Nat’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, softly, reaching out to touch the teen’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to Piper about it, all right?”

Nat raised to head to respond but before she could the newspaper office door burst open again. “All right, good to go!” Piper walked over, stuffing a notebook and a bottle of Nuka in her bag. She blinked. “Everything okay?”

Renee glanced down at Nat. She flicked her gaze back to the reporter. “Piper, I was wondering if we could actually stay here for a day or two. I…don’t feel well enough to go right back out there.”

“Are you hurt?” Piper grabbed Renee and began checking her over, raising the woman’s arms and checking her sides and back.

“No, no, I’m fine. I just think it might be nice to relax for a little while.” Renee chuckled.

Piper stepped back. “Oh. Well, sure. Anything you want. You can stay with us if you want. The couch is pretty comfortable.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that.”

Piper turned to go back into the office and Renee made to follow. As she passed Nat, she was leveled with a glare. “I know it’s not perfect, but it’s a start.”

“Hmph.” Nat climbed back on her crate. “I’ve got my eye on you, Vaultie.”

* * *

Renee sat on the roof of _Publick Occurrences_ , a Nuka-Cherry (with rum) in hand. Her Vault suit was unzipped and the top tied around her waist, leaving her in an undershirt. She stared skyward. The stars were so bright, so clear… She’d never seen the night sky like that before.

“Mind if I join?”

Renee turned to see the door leading directly to Piper’s room was open, and Piper herself stood there with a lukewarm beer in hand. Renee nodded. “Sure.”

Piper settled herself next the redhead. She popped the cap on her beer and took a long drink. “Nothing like a drink after a long day, huh?”

“Mm-hm.”

Piper cocked and eyebrow. “Whoa, what’d you do to your arm?”

Renee looked down at her forearm, where a half-healed gash still marred the skin. She swallowed hard. “Oh. Um. Deathclaw. I fought a Deathclaw.”

“You fought a _Deathclaw_ and you never told me?”

“It was back in Concord, when I first got out of the Vault. I was wearing Power Armor, but it still managed to, you know…” Renee felt over the angry scar. She remembered the searing pain from the claw raking across her skin, through the Vault suit, and, with a twinge of embarrassment, how she promptly fainted after getting out of the Power Armor.

Piper took another drink and Renee heard her ready a cigarette. “Guess you haven’t exactly had the best welcome to the Commonwealth, huh Blue?”

Renee shook her head. She gazed over at Piper, watching the flame from her lighter. “You don’t _have_ to call me Blue, you know. I don’t plan on wearing the suit forever.”

“I know.” Piper looked at her. Renee’s icy blue eyes glittered beneath the stars. Piper shook herself and focused on her cigarette. “You look tired.”

“I’ve been tired ever since I got out of that damn Vault.”

Piper hummed in her throat.

Renee took another drink. She went back to stargazing with a sigh. “Thank you.”

“For what? I haven’t done anything.”

“For helping me. I’d be dead if you weren’t around to keep me alive. There’s a lot in this world I don’t understand, so I’m glad you’re willing to be patient with me.”

Piper rubbed the back of her neck. “Oh! Sure, I mean, it’s no problem.” She held up her beer. “We’re partners now, aren’t we?”

Renee looked at the bottle before bringing her own up to clink against it. She smiled. “Partners.”


End file.
